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Rare Books

Rare Book Division
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-258-3184
Curator of Rare Books
609-258-9942

Dickson Q. Brown '95 Collection of Thomas Rowlandson.
Location designator: R

Special note: This collection was TRANSFERRED to Graphic Arts in May, 1982.

Collection given by Dickson Q. Brown '95. It was announced by librarian James Thayer Gerould in the New York Times on May 6, 1928 and in the Christian Science Monitor (May 7, 1928, 'Gift to Princeton Library,' p. 1), where it was said to be an anonymous donation. About 920 volumes in the collection, including both those with Rowlandson illustrations and volumes about Rowlandson. These consist substantially of all the books for which Rowlandson executed illustration (including many items not listed in Joseph Grego's standard bibliography of the artist's work.) Also included are almost all volumes in which a drawing by Rowlandson was reproduced (photomechanically) or any mention was made of his name. Finally, works of importance on the artistic and social history of the period. Also includes a file of the Repository of Arts from 1809-1828: series I, [1809-1815], 14 vol. (GA) 2006-3077N; second and third series, [1816-1828], 26 vol. (GA) 2006-3078N

The Collection includes drawings and prints, and recently about 60 original drawings and about 2000 prints were transferred to the Graphic Arts Collection. Samples are here.

For further details consult: E.D.H. Johnson, "Special Collections at Princeton. V. The Works of Thomas Rowlandson" in the Princeton University Library Chronicle II, 1 (November, 1940) pp. 7-20 [full text] , and Joseph Grego. Rowlandson the Caricaturist. A Selection from his Works with Anecdotal Descriptions of his Famous Caricatures. (London, 1880). [2 vol. in Graphic Arts; this copy is annotated, presumably by D.Q. Brown, to indicate material in the collection]. Also see: F.J. Mather "Rowlandson and Cruikshank" in the Princeton Alumni Weekly (4 March 1932).